Spring is finally here. What better way to celebrate than with some fresh spring nail ideas?
Whether you're freshening up your routine or going all out for the season, try adding these elements to your next nail look to bring out the spring vibes. From dreamy pastel combinations to blooming flowers and cutesy bug art, this is your visual inspo guide for the season.
Give your tips a fresh start. Bookmark, screenshot, or send these ideas to your nail tech!
1. Mix & Match Pastels
Inspo: soft, dreamy mismatched pastels. No two nails are the same.
Pastels are even cuter when they play together. This aesthetic is all about picking a palette of soft, washed-out hues and letting each nail shine. Think mint green on your thumb, lilac on your index, baby blue in the middle, blush on your ring finger, and a soft lemon on your pinky.
The key to making it look intentional rather than accidental is keeping all your shades in the same tonal family — for example, all cool-toned, all warm-toned, or all equally muted. When the saturation is consistent, mismatched colors look the most cohesive and intentional.
Choose from the Aprés gel polish pastel lineup so all the shades are already coordinated for you. Apply each color to a different nail and finish with a Glossy Top Gelcoat.
Try creating a monochromatic mismatched pastel palette for an even more cohesive look.
2. Spring-Themed Nail Charms & Stickers
Nail charms are an easy way to add ornate decorative elements to any nail look. For spring, think bows, flowers, butterflies, and pearls — they go perfectly with a springtime aesthetic.
Nail charms can do the heavy lifting visually when you treat your nails like jewelry: one or two statement nails adorned with a charm, surrounded by clean, tonal polish on the rest. Soft nudes, milky whites, and sheer pinks are the perfect backdrop for a tiny bow or pearl sitting right at the base of your nail.
Nail charm kits are widely available online and at beauty supply stores. Apply them using Diamond Gel for a super-strong hold, and seal with a Non-Wipe Glossy Top Gelcoat for a high-shine finish.
Less is more. Let one charmed nail be the focal point.
3. Polka Dots
Retro, playful, and super beginner-friendly.
Polka dots are the retro-cool nail trend that keeps coming back, and spring is the perfect time to lean into them. They're classic, timeless, and still totally fun.
The beauty of polka dots is their flexibility. Try micro dots scattered like confetti, larger evenly distributed dots in contrasting colors, or a polka dot accent on French tips. Or remix the classic pattern with mini hearts for a subtle twist.
A dotting tool dipped in Gel Couleur is all you need. Let your base coat dry completely, then apply dots in a contrasting or complementary color. Seal it all in with scratch-resistant Top Gelcoat X.
Try adding a dynamic visual layer with a base of Shimmery Cat Eye Gel Couleur from the Aprés Astral Gel Collection.
4. Garden Vibes
Bugs, blooms & baby blues.
Butterflies, ladybugs, dragonflies, bumblebees — even beetles — make adorable accessories for your springtime nail looks.
Butterfly details can be added to just one nail or used as individual charms for a simple yet beautiful touch inspired by nature. Ladybugs are the classically sweet spring bug that also incorporate our beloved springy pattern of polka dots! Because of their simple shape, ladybug art works great even on short nails.
Create dynamic patterns with Shimmery Cat Eye Gel Couleur like in this adorable pink cherry nails look, inspired by the colors of the cherry blossom trees!
Nail stickers and wraps with bug or floral designs do the heavy lifting of detail work for you, and they're beginner-friendly.
Start with butterfly nail stickers on an accent nail over a sheer or pastel base — it's a quick and simple way to incorporate intricate visuals without doing the detail work yourself. Be sure to seal in any intricate designs with Builder Top Gelcoat!
Mix It All Together
All of these elements are easy to combine, mix, match, or highlight as a primary visual on their own. Try a pastel mix-and-match set with a pearl charm on one nail, a polka dot accent on another, and a white swan or colorful butterfly peeking out on the ring finger.
Don't forget to tag us in your springtime creations!